


Detour

by shadoedseptmbr



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Gen, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-11 09:57:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2063757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadoedseptmbr/pseuds/shadoedseptmbr





	Detour

“Ma’am, your foot is in my face.”

“Sorry about that, Chief.  Lemme…”  Shepard’s ankle twitches about half a centimeter, but it’s enough to give Ashley some breathing space.  “Better?”

“Yeah.  Can I ask, where’d you learn to drive, ma’am?”

“D.C.  Well…technically, Basic on Luna.  But Earth.” 

Alenko coughs from the backseat of the Mako.  He’s…almost…upright.  He’s also holding as still as possible, considering somehow, his commander’s head is on his thigh.  And since she refuses to wear her damn helmet unless absolutely necessary, her head is _actually_  on his thigh.  “Was the phrase, “Drive it like you stole it” involved in any way, Commander?”

She can’t help but laugh.  “Got it in one, LT.  In my defense, not a lot of crumbling canyon roads in the DC quadrant.  There was a road here when we started.”

“Two millennia ago, there was a road here, Ma’am.  Now it’s pretty much rock and hole held together by some nostalgia.” 

“That’s almost pretty, Chief.  One of your poems?”

“Made it up on the fly.”

“Nice.  Hey, Joker what’s the status on that recovery team?”

Garrus’ voice comes over Alenko’s omni, still intact.  Which is more than she can say for Mako’s communicator unit.  “We’re two clicks out, Shepard.  What have you done to my Mako?

“It’s the Alliance’s Mako, Vakarian.” 

“Well, now I know who to bill for services.  This is going to take some time, Shepard.”

“I think it’s safe to say we aren’t going anywhere.”  

A click indicates a signal transfer, “Shepard!”

“Yeah, Wrex?” 

 “How did you take out these geth? I don’t see any weapon signature?”

“Rammed ‘em and ran ‘em over.”  She can almost hear Garrus groaning on the opposite signal and she has to grin.

“I knew I liked you, human.” 

There’s the slightly horrifying sound of metal grinding rock and a seconds of mild silent freak out as the Mako drops another few centimeters that feel like a few hundred. 

“Everyone okay?” 

“Yes, ma’am.”  Ashley’s voice is firm but Alenko is quiet.  Aedan turns her head and hears him breathe in sharply.  Oh…okay.  She’d…uh, shifted. 

“You good, Lieutenant?” 

“Yeah, shoulder’s pinned.  And I think we fell out of communicator range.”  

“Back up’s right here, they had us on scope.”

“I know. “

She feels the blunted edge of armored fingers brush the edge of her ear and uses every inch of control she has not to lean into the touch.  

She can’t see anyone and it’s not a good idea to keep moving her head.  Considering.  But, she can hear breathing getting too rapid. “Hey, Chief?”

“Yeah…uh, yes, ma’am?”

“You got one of those poems on your ‘tool?  Something to read?” 

“I’ve got tons of things. Why?” 

“I’m bored out of my mind, you might could read us something, at least.” 

“Well, what’s your choice?”

“I don’t care.  Alenko, you pick.”

He and Ashley dicker over poetry versus light fiction for a few minutes and Aedan concentrates on flexing her feet, her fingers.  Keeping circulation going at this angle is key.  Her neck is aching and just as she thinks she’s going to have to try and fidget, Alenko shifts his leg.  Just enough that her head is supported again. 

She almost says he doesn’t have to.  But his fingers twitch against her ear again as Ashley’s warm voice begins, “ _In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit_ …”

“Wait, a  _what_?”


End file.
